Benji, Fede and the timeless charm of bromance

The city is completely enveloped in a thick fog that shows no sign of lifting. The Unipol Forum stands out ghostly in the relative emptiness of Assago, all concrete and streetlights. We are about to attend the Benji&Fede reunion concert, which is sold out. We're not sure what to expect, but the subway ride gives us some hints. The trans are filled with young and enthusiastic girls, showing off their best looks despite the temperatures. The FoodHall is crowded with merch. There are also adult women and families. It’s clearly a special event, a celebration, a return.

Benji&Fede, the concert in Milan

In the stands, there are many kids, couples, and groups of friends. As the concert begins and the audience warms up, one thing becomes clear: Benji&Fede are loved for their music, their looks, and their energy, but what’s on stage is also their bromance—their friendship that leads them to repeatedly call each other brothers, sharing their relationship through videos and intimate moments, recounting how they split up and how they finally found their way back to each other, wanting to work together again. Because this is what happens to friends, especially those swept up by success at a young age: moments of up and down, arguments and reconciliations. Between wild dances (the concert starts with many of the new songs from the new Rewind album, moves into a more intimate and acoustic middle part, and ends with big hits like Dove e Quando and Universale), you’re caught up in good feelings, in a story that is lovely to hear, because it has a happy ending.

The power of bromance

It’s no secret. We love to see two guys being friends, caring for each other, playfully teasing each other, but also talking about their feelings, the times they've been hurt, the things they want to apologize to each other for. The various references to Oasis and the Gallagher brothers—stars of the most turbulent bromance in recent music history—are not accidental, both in the songs and during the concert. And this time, at least, it doesn’t seem to be a morbid fascination. Sometimes, fans have been accused of obsessively shipping two members of a band or a cast, fetishizing same-sex couples. Other times, there’s been talk of parasocial relationships, about the blurry line between a person-you-know and a person-you-follow-but-don’t-really-know, which often leads to inappropriate behavior toward celebrities. These are "just" good feelings, and we really like them.

Male friendships against toxic masculinity

Good feelings that, unfortunately, are increasingly less often associated with men and boys, who isolate themselves and become aggressive, even online. While young men are becoming more radicalized, and the Jake Pauls and Andrew Tates of the world dominate headlines and gain popularity, women are wondering how to protect themselves, and expressing positive and constructive feelings about and from men becomes increasingly rare and difficult. Continuing to celebrate bromances, giving them space, admiring them, allowing affection and closeness to win is—seen in this light—not only positive but also constructive. Thanks in part to Benji&Fede.